ALAPAD (at least a photo a day): I try my best la hor...

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14/06/11: History

Going for a short holiday tonight!

 

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15/06/11: Still within motion

Back from holidays..time to catch up on this APAD thingy.

 

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16/06/11 - 18/06/11

Urban development​

A view of Cameron Highlands from my hotel, small plantations at the back of the residents' homes.

Market Centre​

Handheld pano for this pic. A small market located around 15 - 20 min walk from Equatorial Hotel towards Brinchang town. My gf and I actually spent an hour walking 5 -6 km down from our hotel to the town and past by this small market.

Sweet potato balls​

Came across this stall that sells fried finger food such as fried potato balls, etc. There was a queue of tourists so I decided to queue up and bought a packet of the potato balls. It is nice to eat when hot, and the external skin is crispy while inside the potato is kinda sticky and chewy to bite.

 

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19-21st June
Meaty noodles​

I came across this shop from a blog and decided to give it a try. It's "GOOD OLD PLACE" or "老字号" located at Brinchang town (nearer to Star Reagent hotel). I tried the noodles with a mixture of 3 meat, char siew, roasted pork and roasted duck. The meat was kind of cold due to the cool weather there but overall it tastes not bad. A generous serving of noodles and meat and it costs approximately S$3 - S$3.50 which I find it value for money.

Hot lemon tea​

In Singapore it is more common to drink cold lemon tea rather than hot one. I think hot lemon tea tastes different from the cold version and it's nice, especially when the weather is cool/cold. It's quite tasty, using brewed tea, with fresh lemon, giving a mixture of sweet, bitter and sour taste.

Watercress farm​

Another view from a high ground, looking down at a watercress farm from far. Can you spot the hotel which I am staying at? (Equatorial Hotel)

The photos look kind of soft when placed here compared to on facebook...

 

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22/06/11​

I signed up for local tours in Cameron Highlands through Titiwangsa Tour agency. The service is quite good, the tour guides provide explanation of places, things in details even though I think they might be bored of it saying the same stuff all the time. Very friendly tour guides, but the tours can be a little boring since there are not many interesting things to visit in the first place.

Friendly tour guide

Farmer walking around the watercress farm

 

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23/06/11: Flowers and plants​

There are quite a number of flowers and plants nursery/farms in Cameron highlands, perhaps the cool weather is good for the plants to grow.

Spikey!

 

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24/06/11: Farmer and fruit

 

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25/06/11: Sunrise​

The tour guide brought a small group of us up to a hill early in the morning at around 6 30am for view of sunrise. It was a pity that the previous night was pouring with heavy rain. Hence even though it was only light drizzle in the morning, the sky was covered with thick clouds. Neverthess, I managed to get this view of a thin bright orange horizon when the sun is rising over the highland due to the clouds. I wonder if the farmer had his sleep disturbed as I took this in the middle of a small farm located high up in the hills. Not much interesting subjects around so I chose this tree.

 

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26/06/11: Rural transport​

We were in a van going to a tea plantation up in a hill, and something about this pickup truck caught my attention. It's not the truck but rather the smell that came from it that greeted us "good morning, you are near a plantation/farm". The smell of chicken poo, or what some of the tourists said "morning perfume". The chicken poo is being used as fertilizers for the tea plantation. Wondering why use chicken poo? I don't see many chickens around in Cameron Highland anyway. At least it's better than carrying cow's poo which is more pungent.

 

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27/06/11: Tea plantation​

More than a decade ago when I was a small kid, I remember the workers using hand to pluck the tea leaves for processing. I guess after so many years they have adopted more efficient method of using some cutter (made in plastic) or a machine which works similarly to a lawn mower. The tour guide told us that the workers are paid S$0.20 for each kg of tea leaves they pluck. On average they can collect around 200kg of tea leaves per person. It's pretty tough job with a low pay. They stay at squatters near the plantation and these squatters soon form a small village whereby there are temples/mosque and mini shops. Accomdation is free for them tough by the company that owns the plantation.

Using the machine (cannot photograph it clearly)

Using plastic cutter​

Now I know what does the term "BOH" means

Overview of a tea plantation

 

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28/06/11: Tarts​

Tried some tarts at the cafe @ BOH Tea Plantataion

 

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29/06/11: Mossy Forest​

Visited a small forest @ Cameron Highlands, the Mossy Forest. There are many fungi - related plants growing under cool and damp environment and that's why the trees there can never grow tall. A dangerous place for my dslr indeed.

 

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30/06/11: Two young goats​

Quite nice to see goats living at the vegetable farms at Cameron Highlands.

Butts

 

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So fast June has flown by and now is July. July 1st marks the end of the KTM railway network in Singapore. Therefore I shall dedicate this entire month's thread (not too boring) mainly on Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. That's because the past month I have been focused on this place.

External view 1​

Taken using kit lens @ 18mm, handheld pano taken near noon time. Luckily I can still stitch the photos despite the heavy distortion.

External view 2​

This was taken during 6 50 am, I remembered waking up and catching the first bus to this place before sunrise. No signs of sunrise on that day but at least the sky is blue.

External view 3​

Slightly different angle, taken near 9am.

 

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02/07/11: Fence & Clock

 

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03/07/11: No parking, no light

 

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04/07/11: Inside the station

 

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05/06/11: Different point of view for the lamp in the station

06/06/11: This is how the interior of the station will look like now during daytime

 

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07/07/11: A gate nobody will pass through anymore

 

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08/07/11: A black cat sleeping outside the station like nobody's business